São Paulo: City of....Literally Everything

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So this past weekend I went to São Paulo and I stayed with Douglas' brother, his wife Maristela, and their son Diego who is my age. In Brazil, people usually live at home while they go to college and don't usually move out of their parents' house until they get married. I can't understand why they don't want to get out and be independent. They can't understand why I'd want to give up cleanliness and home-cooked meals and free rent, and I.....ok I think they might be onto something.

ANYWAY: I had an awesome weekend. Friday morning I got up early and explored downtown Campinas with Sonia (and the BEAUTIFUL cathedral that I forgot to take my camera to). Then I went to the hospital with the dogs and had to go back to the Mental Health department, where the guy who was flirting with me before was still there and unfortunately still remembered me. We cut that visit short.

So then I went to Marli's and Angela picked me up and took me to the bus station to Sao Paulo. I arrived at 10pm, met Maris and Diego, and we took the subway (!!!!!) back to their apartment. Subways by the way are really cool. Every place should have one.

Then, I got ready because Diego and I went to a fancy club! Thank god he got free VIP tickets somehow because I found out that normally it costs $80 just to enter!!!!! It was sooo expensive inside too. A shot of tequila cost $13! And I was also mad because they didn't have Pinga. Anyway, it was a fun night and we got home late and then woke up early the next morning for an all day bbq outside the city!

I went with like 25 of Diego's friends and we brought tons of meat and food and SO MUCH BEER to this like event site that someone's uncle owned in the mountains. It was so gorgeous! There was a lake and a soccer (football!) field and a swimming pool and goats roaming around. We played Brazilian country music (which is quite good) and ate Brazilian bbq food, and drank bbq beer. It was really fun. Actually the funny thing was, I said hi to everybody and everythign when I met them, but nobody realized I was American until an hour later somebody asked me a question and I answered and after two words the guy was like "Ohhh não é brasileiraa......" so it can be really frustrating when people think I'm Brazilian and talk really fast Portuguese to me and then when I can't understand and ask them to speak slower they just think I'm retarded. Oh well.

The next morning we went back to Sao Paulo and they took me on the metro again to the bus station. But we passed a fruit market and I mentioned to Maris that we don't have guavas in the U.S. and she stopped and she and the owner of one fruit stand made me try EVERY FRUIT and Maris bought me every fruit we don't have.....and like 20 of each! So i've been feasting on strange nameless brazilian fruit since I got back!

All in all it was a really good weekend and I didn't speak English for three days straight which really forced me to start speaking Portuguese for realsies. I was even thinking in Portuguese Sunday night!

Anyway, I leave a week from tomorrow to go solo backpacking through southern South America! My plan is to hit Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. I even am firming up plans to stay and work on a farm in Argentina! I am going to get soooo hippied out I can't WAIT. hahaha so I will keep y'all updated on that.

Tchauuu everybody and sorry for the limited pics but it's difficult being the only foreigner awkwardly taking pictures of things everybody else finds completely normal!

Beijos!

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